The writers of Law & Order aren’t the only ones who pull their stories from the cultural zeitgeist. Novelists tap into the world in which they’re writing just as cleverly, in these 14 books inspired by real-life shocking revelations and unsolved mysteries. In some cases, it’s a straight retelling; in others, a biting satire that at its end hardly resembles the story it started with; or even a wonderfully lurid mash-up of multiple “characters” or stranger-than-fiction occurrences. A point of warning: Many of these stories are disturbing, based as they are on murders, kidnappings, assaults, affairs, accidents, and other strange phenomenon. But perhaps, in reading these writers’ takes on real events, layered with their own experiences, you’ll gain a fresh perspective. (Chung-chung!)

Reading list curated by Team RIFer Natalie Zutter. Follow her on Twitter @nataliezutter.

Do you have a favorite ‘ripped from the headlines’ book? Share it in the comments!

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NATALIE ZUTTER has always been a voracious reader, from reading Agatha Christie and Entertainment Weekly above her age level as a kid to squeezing 52 books into the year whenever podcasts aren’t taking over her commute. A 2016 Amtrak Residency writer, Natalie also writes plays about superheroes and sex robots, and Tumblr rants about fandom. You can find her giggling over pop culture memes on Twitter @nataliezutter.